Story Challenge: Brother Dearest
by Writer's Obsession
Summary: A story challenge for those that are interested: 1) No one is ever born evil. Children are shaped and molded by their natures and environments. 2) The Butterfly Effect is a thing. 3) People also say that one person can make all the difference in the world. But how true will these facts hold when a Harry Potter fan is reincarnated as Tom Riddle's twin sister? More details inside.


**Plot: **

People, most of the time teachers, will tell you that one person can make all of the difference. In many cases this is true.

So is the Butterfly Effect.

Reincarnation, though? That's a stretch. (To put it mildly.)

Being reincarnated into a _fictional world? _A fictional world where you are the main villain's _older twin sister? _

Ha! That's only for fanfictions -right? _Right?_

...Right?

Apparently, not. Apparently, (your) OC is reincarnated as Voldemort's -sorry, _Tom Riddle's_\- twin sister.

Well, shit.

She thinks she might prefer being the daughter of some racist pureblood.

What did she do in her first life to deserve _this? _To be the other half of the future Evil Overlord? The either sociopathic or psychopathic boy? (She isn't entirely sure which one Tom is yet.)

She's read the books. She's watched the movies. She's read the fanfictions. So she's got a good grasp of whats to come.

She doesn't like where it's headed. Not one bit.

Tom -_Voldemort- _isn't some cookie-cutter and typical villain. He walked his thorny and poisoned path not just because it was in his nature, but because of the way he was nurtured.

Oh, now, don't get her wrong. She's under no illusions that her brother (-dear God, he's her _brother _now. Twin, even-) is in heritably a _kind _boy with a heart made out of gold. She knows that he's selfish, always has been, he's smarter than is fair and has no moral trouble with using his charm and manipulations to get his way.

But neither does she.

Oh, now, don't get _her _wrong now either. True, she's wasn't born a genius like him. But life isn't fair, never has been, (apparently neither is death or reincarnation) and she has several years worth of knowledge and experience on him. She's just as selfish as dear Tom and isn't the least bit ashamed of it. She's no 'terrible liar' like the 'pure,' innocent, and naive often are. She's no bleeding heart.

But that doesn't mean she's heartless. It doesn't mean she's incapable of sympathy and empathy. Doesn't make her carved out of stone and unfeeling towards others' pain and the future to come.

Because no matter how much hatred she may have felt towards Voldemort once upon a time, no matter how hard she may have cheered at his death in the books, it doesn't mean that her heart doesn't squeeze every time her Tom smiles at her and returns her affections.

Don't look at her like _that, _now!

She ain't looking to one day roll in the sheets with him, or to have a child with extra toes! Gross! Utterly disgusting -_how could you even think that? _Nor is she some pedophile, her physical age notwithstanding!

Shame on you!

No, because her little Tom _isn't _Voldemort. (Not yet.) Voldemort is the one that opened the Chamber of Secrets, he's the one that killed innocents, pureblood and muggle and everything in between, the leader of the Death Eaters, and the one that would try to kill a helpless infant without batting an eye.

Her Tom is just a baby. Just a little baby, and then just a little boy. No one is _born _evil. It's their choices and others' influence that make them tainted and evil. Her Tom is the one that doesn't know how to control his magical powers at first. He's the victim to close-minded and superstitious adults that loath anything they can't explain, and the receiving end of the other children's bullying because children always copy their role models. (Plus children can be little shits, plain and simple.) He's the one that doesn't understand _why _he's such a 'freak' as others keep reminding him. The one that won't stand to stay and rot away at the bottom and instead decides to climb and become better than them so that they can hurt him no longer.

Most importantly, he's the baby that used to roll over to grip and clutch her close in their sleep. He still does, too, seeing as they share a room and a bed because none of the other children like them and the orphanage is too poor. (It's adorable -but _sshh,_ don't tell him that.) She's the first person that he glances to (the _only one_) when he needs help of any kind. Her Tom is the one (the _only one) _that would risk being caned in order to sneak her food when she's locked in their room without supper for one reason or another.

Tom is the bright and clever little boy that prefers quiet and solitude _("-come on, sister, lets leave the annoying pests. I've found a promising book. I'm sure you'll enjoy it too-") _over the loud and crowded. He has an irritatingly better penmanship than she does, too, and he loves to gloat and send her that smirk that just _begs _to kiss dirt because he knows that it bothers her so. And even though he's a natural born liar, he's never been able to pull the wool over _her _eyes. (Nor will he ever be able to.) Not that he tries very often, mind you, but there was that time he tried denying thieving her biscuit. But she saw right through him, the little prat. She knows his tells. (Not that she'll ever tell him what they are, of course. He'll just start covering them up, and then where will she be?)

Her Tom is the boy that likes to sit at the window, be it sunny or raining, and learn from all kinds of fascinating books that is above his peers' comprehension level. But don't let him tell you that he isn't dreamer, though, because as much as he's ruled by logics it's still a fifthly lie. His head is often lost in the clouds, sitting by his favourite window, imaging their new and exciting lives outside of this awful orphanage. (And of course it's always _their _lives -where would they go if not together?)

(One time, when Tom was in one of his deeper trances, she managed to balance quite a few things on his head.)

Tom is the boy with mischief in his eyes and the one with the _highest _shriek she has _ever _heard when jump-scared. He has a secret sweet tooth (it's quite big, too) that she'll abuse with bribes and currency for forgiveness. He's the one that will simply sit there, holding her hand and offering silent comfort if she wants it, when she gets lost in her head with both the pleasant and unpleasant memories of her past life.

And despite all his charm, despite his adorable appearence that foreshadows quite the heart breaker in the future, he has a difficult time understanding people and their emotions. Many people may think him cold and indifferent (and in lots of cases they're right) but they don't notice the red in his ears or the way he'll nervously fiddle with his sleeves discreetly. (She loves to tease him about it. Sometimes she'll randomly kiss his cheek just to watch the embarrassment creep up his neck and the way he sputters, desperately wiping his cheek and eyes flickering around to see if anyone saw.)

_("Stop that!" he'll scowl and sulk.)_

_("Mmm," she'll pretend to consider, finger on her chin. "Nope! It's way too funny!")_

_("I hate you," he'll grumble and look away.)_

_("I love you too, little bro," she'll snicker without missing a beat.)_

Her Tom is the one that may not particularly enjoy another's touch, but somehow craves her embraces and affections as only a sister can give. Even if he's embarrassed about it at times and won't ever admit the comfort it provides.

He still has a nose, he has silky black hair and his eyes aren't red. His soul isn't fractured and broken.

No, he isn't perfect. He enjoys power and manipulating people a little too much. Has too little empathy or sympathy towards the rest of the world. _("It's us against the world, sister. We're special -not boring and weak like them.")_ He's a bit too prideful, also.

But he's her younger brother. _("No, Tom, I don't care if it's only by three minutes. No, I'm never going to __stop. Not even if you beg me on your knees.") _He has not crossed _that _line yet. He's not perfect, but neither is she or anyone else. His hands are not stained with blood. Not yet.

And they never will be. Not if she has any say.

(And she does.)

She will drag her Tom away from insanity and the abyss, even if she has to do it with him kicking and screaming the whole way, and even if she has to tie him down and shove common sense and morals down his throat. He can choke on them for all she cares, but he will not be crossing _that line. _

Because she doesn't know _why _God or Fate gave her this second chance and with this family, be it for better or worse. She's no angle, no naive and innocent girl that's pure of heart. She's lived another life once already, and while she knows what the future holds for _this _life she _refuses _to lay down and let it runs its course. The future isn't written in stone (she's here, after all, isn't she?) and she _refuses _to have a red eyed and nose-less brother that's hellbent on power and destruction alone.

Children and people are shaped and molded based on their natures and environment. No one is born entirely evil or good. And while she can't change his nature (not that she _really _wants to, mind you. He's her brother, for better or worse and she loves him, even if she wants to strangle him at times) but she is in the _perfect _position to heavily influence his environment and teachings.

And she's going to milk it for all it's worth.

**Rules:**

**1\. **Please try to keep _realistic_ expectations and consequences on the characters' psych. Especially Tom and your OC.

Unless she's had a completely shit first life without anyone to truly mourn for, please allow your OC a proper grieving period. One can't simply _brush off _literally _dying _and losing (practically) everything they once knew and loved.

Furthermore, as stated above in the plot, Tom is and never has been a (completely) emotionally balanced individual. He has too little capability to feel sympathy, empathy, and remorse. But that doesn't mean that he's _utterly_ unable to form caring bonds with others, as rare as it is. What he is capable of goes towards your OC -his sister that has always been at his side from birth. He loves her (as much as he can love anyone aside from himself,) he worries for her, wants her affection and attention, and will feel anger for anyone that may hurt her either physically or emotionally.

**2\. **_No _incest! Absolutely none, even if it's only one sided! (The fact I even feel the need to rule this out...)

**3\. **Do your best to be grammatically correct. Make a new paragraph every time someone new speaks, or the place/time/idea changes. Please, please, _please _use comma's properly when addressing characters! There is a difference between speaking _to _someone v.s speaking _about _someone:

"Let's eat, Grandma!" -One is talking to their grandma, and wishing to dine.

"Let's eat Grandma!" -One is purposing cannibalism.

**4\. **Do not make your character _below_ average when it concerns magical talent. _If you want,_ you can have her be simply average and stick her behind Tom's prodigy shadow. But _don't _make her inferior compared to Tom in every way. Everyone is bad and excels in different things, and there will always be someone better at something than you are. 'Mr. Perfect' Tom isn't an exception towards this universal rule.

**Suggestions: **

*** **Instead of becoming an Evil Overlord, have Tom become the Minister of Magic. Because let's be honest -he's always going to want power.

*** **Or, instead of Minister, have Dumbledore accept Tom as a DADA Professor and let him be satisfied (as much as he can be) with that.

*** **Make your OC a Slytherin. Wouldn't it be so _nice _to finally read about a heroine that's a Slytherin? Plus, it'll make writing your story that much easier for them to be in the same house -not to mention that playing the long game like she is in the plot just screams Slytherin behaviour.

*** **Have your OC try to drill him on equality ever since he could understand what 'equality' means.

*** **Have around ten 3k+ chapters of Tom and your OC growing up and living in the orphanage before they get shipped off to Hogwarts. It'll be very beneficial and enjoying to see their normal life during their times and setting, and how they interact day-to-day (and not just with themselves, but with the caregivers and other children too.)

*** **Other story title ideas, aside from _Brother Dearest, _are: _Nature VS Nurture, One Person And All The Difference, Butterfly Effect, The Other Half, A Ripple In Destiny, Over My Dead Body, Poisonous Second Breath, (OC name) Riddle And The Evil Twin, _and lastly _Sincerely, The Stranger You Call Sister._

**_Please review or message me if you're interested in accepting this challenge._**

**_PS: I may be able to be your beta if you desire it. _**


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